Romance in the water
by Minerva Nargles
Summary: Collection of Free short one shots. Expect OCs and genderbends.
1. Not Real

No matter how many times Makoto promised himself to shut up, he keeps saying stupid things. He knows Sayori doesn't love him, doesn't care for him in a way that would be meaningful.

But he still dances with her, takes her out when she is not busy with other men. Makoto makes her laugh, spins her over the dance floor skillfully and enjoys her warm presence.

Then, they are alone in a bedroom and things get passionate and he is kissing her like there is no tomorrow- because, tomorrow she will forget about him- and Makoto wants to keep her forever in his arms.

Next morning, Makoto wakes up to the cold bed and wrinkled sheets, the scent of Sayori still clinging to the fabric and tears fall from his eyes because, god damn it, he loves her and she doesn't love- at all.

Once, Makoto even told her he loves her and she just patted his head, cooing how cute he was. It was stupid, but he just couldn't not say it. He spoiled everything when he said things like that.

Sometimes, though, Makoto would pretend Sayori loved him too. Then, he would go to Haruka and cry his eyes out as his blue eyed friend tried to comfort him.

It never worked.

But Makoto did not give up.

He kept trying and trying, then he beat himself over the head.

"You always spoil everything." Sayori once told him. "Love? Love is not real, it was created by men and women who couldn't pay for sex. Does that make me a whore? Maybe, but I am not delusional like you."

Still, Makoto took the blows to his pride with a smile on his face and cried when alone.

It hurt and it was stupid, but he loved her.


	2. Red Dress

Rei was not completely sure how it happened, nor was he sure how he was persuaded to do it but...

There he was, wearing a red body hugging dress that barely covered his (amazingly beautiful) buttocks and clung to his body like second skin. He was sure his face was as red as both the dress and the glasses he was wearing. Sighing, Rei tugged at the (not beautiful) extremely low cut cleavage. He wasn't a woman but he, sure as hell, wasn't feeling pretty.

Rei watched the woman who managed to get him in that (atrocious) get-up, purple eyes darkening at the sight of her black, shoulder length, curly hair, mischievous blue eyes and a smug smirk. Settling down in a laying position on the couch, one long, muscled leg extended, the other bent at the knee.

"Rei, please, say it." The woman giggled, preparing her photo-camera.

"Draw me like one of your French girls." He rattled off, voice petulant and a pout on his pretty lips.

"Aw, Rei," she whined, looking at Rei as if he did some terrible crime. "You have to put some feeling into it. Be seductive."

"...I can't believe you're making me do this."

"Well, believe it, beautiful. Now, say it like you mean it."

"Draw me like one of your French girls, Mina-chan." His voice went into a husky whisper, enticing in its darkness. His eyes sure helped too.

Rei bit his lips as the camera flashed. Yeah, he'd do anything to make Minako happy, even dress as a woman.


	3. Staring Contest

Swimming.

All Haruka wanted to do was swim, be it with you, your friends or alone. And eat mackerel (just how could you forget that when the whole house stank like that freaking fish?). Okay, you understood swimming, you liked to swim too, but eating so much of that scaly terror...

Not so much.

That's why you were staring Haruka down, eyes burning because they were so dry.

Yes, you were, indeed, having a staring contest with a person who could, without problem, swim with open eyes underwater. If you won, Haruka will not eat fish for a month. Gou was standing behind you, cheering you on. Rei was complaining how you two don't look beautiful anymore but more like two psychopaths having a fight over territory. Makoto didn't bother with you two, only prepared those artificial tears and dropped his head in his hands in exasperation. Rin was the only one supporting Haruka while murmuring encouragement in the blue eyed boy's ears while smirking at you (what happened to the angsty Rin, you'll never know). And Nagisa was...

Nagisa was eating Haru's stash of sweets and even a few cans of mackerel.

Like, twenty.

"Haru," you sang, smirking as you crossed your arms. "Nagisa ate your mackerel."

Haruka stiffened, blue eyes widening and Rin, panicking, kept telling Haruka you were lying. But it was already too late. Haruka turned his horrified eyes to the entrance to his kitchen and his mouth dropped open. He didn't even care you were whooping in victory while Rin pouted over Haruka's loss.

"Aw, Haru-chaaaan" you cooed, false simpathy on your face before it disolved into a dark smirk. "Remember, no mackerel. For. A. Month."

Haruka could only glare at you. Until Makoto jerked his head back and dropped two drops of tears in his blue orbs.

Your snickering was broken by Makoto gently pulling your head back and dropping into your eyes too.

"Idiots." Makoto growled. "Both of you."

"But we're your idiots, Mako-chan!" You grinned as you hugged the tall boy.

"Unfortunately."

"Yea.. OI!"


	4. Namesakes

**A bit about swimming styles: Free is also called The Crawl. Arms should do the windmill movements and you have to time your breaths to them. Meaning, when your right arm is out, you put your head to that side and breathe in. Legs are kicking in a fluttery kind of motion. Your joints need to be relaxed because, well, you will get a cramp. Backstroke is, basically, The Crawl only on your back. Everything is the same except you don't need to syncronize your breathing with the strokes.**

**Breastroke and Butterfly are the hardest- to some people (from my personal experience, breaststroke is not that hard and it was the first swimming style I have learned, but butterfly is, annoyingly so). Breaststroke is kinda frog like. If you have ever seen a frog swim, that's the way to do it. **

**Butterfly- I have tried it a few times but, damn it, I just can't. I wanted to learn it but my fear of heights started to mirror to the fear of depths (I no longer swim.). This stroke is tough and you need to have the strength to push your torso out of the water, accompanied by the dolphin kick (is that the correct name?).**

**I have also tried Free Colchian. Holy hell, that one was tough too. You mainly use your pelvis and waist.**  
**My personal favorite is Sidestroke. It's, kinda, like the crawl except less energy consuming.**  
f*****f

Makoto stared dreamily at her namesake as he swam in the pool. He was handsome, sweet, smart and caring. What else could a girl look for in a guy?

Gou nudged her, smirking when Makoto turned to look at her. Makoto blushed and stuck her tongue out. Magenta haired girl winked, giggling.

"Why don't you go for a swim, Ma-chan?" Gou asked loudly, drawing attention to their little corner. Makoto could see Nagisa perk up at the question. "I bet you could use some cooling off."

"I don't have a swim suit."

"Taken care off." Gou said, pulling a black and red, one-piece suit out of nowhere. "And I know you know how to swim."

"I'm on my period."

"Your period finished two days ago." Gou pushed Makoto out of the beach chair, then thrown the swim suit in her face.

"Fine." Makoto growled, forest green eyes darkening.

f***f

"Mako-chan," Nagisa sang to the swimming boy. "Ma-chan is going to swim too."

"What?" Tachibana Makoto hissed, almost choking on water from shock.

"Yeah, and she'll be wearing a swim suit. Clinging to her body." Shota boy smirked, leaning close to his friend. "Then, she'll be wet."

"Shut up, Nagisa!"

Nagisa laughed, running away to bother Rei.

f***f

Makoto looked herself over in the mirror. The one-piece was red and black in color- the sides were red and a white dolphin was in the middle of the chest.

"Not bad." She mumbled, then frowned. "But pale. Too pale."

The black haired girl smiled as the sounds of Nagisa's laughter reached her ears. He was probably teasing Gou about her name again. Makoto took a deep breath and went out of the locker room. Sun hit her skin at the same time a blond ball of energy slammed in her body.

"Ma-chan, you look so cute!" Nagisa giggled, squeezing the air out of her.

"Thank you, Nagisa-kun." Makoto giggled back after pushing the boy away from her. She wasn't one for hugs unless she initiated them. "Now, let me swim."

She approached the platform, cracked her back and joints before getting ready to jump in. After exhaling, Makoto launched herself in the water, closing her green eyes as she dived in. Her body glided through water gracefully, arms and legs working furiously. Tachibana looked at Makoto in awe, his own green orbs sparkling when she made the turn and swimming backstroke.

Makoto went upright, gasping and flipping her shoulder length hair out of her face.

"If I knew you would be swimming like that, I would have given you a cap and glasses, Ma-chan."

"I don't like wearing those terrors." Makoto laughed as she set the strap of the suit straight.

"I didn't know you could swim like that, Ma-chan." A sweet voice reached her and she turned to face a smiling Tachibana. "You're good, a bit slow when you turn though."

"Thanks, Makoto."

"Want to race?" He asked, still smiling that droopy eyed smile that made Makoto's heart skip beats.

"Sure. Style?"

"Breaststroke!" Cheered Nagisa from behind a smiling Gou.

"No." Makoto refused, shaking her head with a frown. "Can't swim fast like that."

"Then butterfly."

"Free."

Makoto looked at the black haired boy who popped out of water in between her and Makoto. His blue eyes stared intensely in hers, compelling her to choose Free.

"Backstroke." Makoto decided, grinning at her namesake. "It is the same as Freestyle, only done on the back."

"Ma-chan," Nagisa giggled, eyes sparkling with mirth. "That sounded dirty. Do you want to do something dirty with Mako-chan?"

Makoto and Tachibana both blushed, refusing to look at each other for a moment before just grabbing at the ledge and propping their legs against the wall of the pool and waiting for Gou's sign. When it came, they launched in the water. Makoto could feel her muscles working as her arms went through the windmill motions, legs kicking. She felt like a torpedo finally free of its metal casing. Five meter line came into her line of sight and she mentally prepared herself.

She touched the wall, flipped over and kicked off. Her right leg started to cramp up but she kept kicking until she reached the end and practically jumped out of the water, moaning in pain as her toes cramped. Tachibana was immediately in front of her, massaging her foot until her toes relaxed and she could move them without cramping.

"You didn't keep your joint relaxed." He mumbled, pressing a kiss to the top of her foot. "Don't be so tense, Ma-chan."

"Oooh, Mako-Chan is finally making a move." Nagisa giggled before his voice was muffled.

"We'll just leave you two alone." Gou giggled awkwardly before putting Rei and Nagisa in a headlock and glaring at Haru until he retreated to the locker room with the three.

Makoto and Tachibana laughed, blushing like roses when their green eyes connected. Tachibana's hands were on each side of her legs, chest lightly pressed against them. Makoto bit her lip as she settled her feet against his sides.

"Sooo..." Drew out Tachibana, smiling that characteristic smile of his.

"Go out with me." Makoto interrupted, breathlessly.

"Yes." He answered, grabbing onto her wet legs and trailed them up to her hips and pulled her down into water. "Of course."

Makoto grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders. Tachibana's ears went red and he smiled sheepishly before he pecked her cheek. As he pulled away, Makoto grabbed the back of his head and kissed his lips, lingering before pulling away.

"By the way," Tachibana winked. "This swim suit looks great on you."

Makoto was never happier she listened to Gou.


End file.
